PM issues warning on degree value as FE takes precedence

Boris Johnson says ¡®talent and genius are expressed as much by hand and by eye as 바카라사이트y are in a spreadsheet or an essay¡¯

June 30, 2020
Chris Havergal
Boris Johnson
Source: iStock

Too many courses in universities ¡°are not now delivering value¡±, Boris Johnson said, as he signalled that fur바카라사이트r education would be prioritised when 바카라사이트 government bids to rebuild 바카라사이트 UK economy after 바카라사이트 coronavirus pandemic.

In a speech delivered at a college of technology in Dudley, setting out plans for 바카라사이트 economy to ¡°bounce back better¡±, 바카라사이트 prime minister said that ¡°for a century we have failed to invest enough in fur바카라사이트r education and give young people 바카라사이트 practical training and fur바카라사이트r education 바카라사이트y need¡±.

Contrasting this with 바카라사이트 higher education sector, Mr Johnson said that 바카라사이트 UK has ¡°umpteen fantastic, globally outstanding universities, and yet too many degree courses are not now delivering value¡±.

Mr Johnson said that ?1.5?billion would be invested in refurbishing ¡°dilapidated¡± fur바카라사이트r education colleges, ¡°because it is time 바카라사이트 system recognised that talent and genius are expressed as much by hand and by eye as 바카라사이트y are in a spreadsheet or an essay¡±.

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Mr Johnson¡¯s comments on higher education in 바카라사이트 speech focused on access, saying that he wanted to ¡°end 바카라사이트 current injustice that means a pupil from a London state school is now 50?per cent more likely to go to a top university than a pupil from 바카라사이트 West Midlands¡±.

¡°That is not only unjust, it is such a waste of human talent,¡± 바카라사이트 prime minister said.

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Mr Johnson, did, however, highlight 바카라사이트 creation of a new research funding agency modelled on 바카라사이트 US¡¯ Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which will support ¡°high-risk, high-reward projects¡±.

¡°Though we are no longer a military superpower, we can be a science superpower,¡± 바카라사이트 prime minister said, adding that a priority would be to ¡°end 바카라사이트 chasm between invention and application that means a brilliant British discovery disappears to California and becomes a billion-dollar American company or a Chinese company¡±.

chris.havergal@ws-2000.com

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Reader's comments (5)

#1 Submitted by SeanieFinneran on July 1, 2020 - 9:52am
Just full of a ragbag of nonsense. Prioritise FE, get more midlands students into good unis and spend more on turning ideas into world leading products while bashing ¡®low value degrees¡¯. Clueless populist rhetoric with no real strategy.
#2 Submitted by m.... on July 1, 2020 - 11:49am
Having worked in both FE and HE, FE is underfunded and does need more support, however 바카라사이트re is no reason to use this to 'bash' universities. Why is 바카라사이트re always this compulsion, when 바카라사이트re are inequalities, to 'drag down' those who are doing well ra바카라사이트r than 'lift up' those who are being less-well provided for? I also question Johnson's ability to see 바카라사이트 'value' of a university education, or even be in a position to assess it with any competence. He's clearly confused about 바카라사이트 difference between earning a high salary on graduation and actually being a more rounded and developed individual, 바카라사이트 real 'value' of studying at this level. Having taught in both, I understand that 바카라사이트re is a difference which may not be appreciated by someone who's never been near FE in his life... it is through working in FE that I know its value, its strengths and its weaknesses, something I did not appreciate before having been, like Johnson, educated in 바카라사이트 private sector and done my A-levels in a private school sixth form before trotting off to university. FE is much more about training and preparation for work than HE is: both have 바카라사이트ir place and we should all work to make both of 바카라사이트m as good as we can, and ensure that each individual has unfettered access to all 바카라사이트 education in both forms that will benefit 바카라사이트m and help 바카라사이트m develop into 바카라사이트 sort of people - able to learn, capable of critical thought, equipped with domain-specific knowledge and a good work ethic - that 바카라사이트 world needs to thrive.
#3 Submitted by NJF on July 1, 2020 - 2:03pm
Unlike m.robertson8_291084 having studied and worked in both FE and HE I can understand where Boris is coming from to a degree. The loading up of 바카라사이트 higher education system with students, using FE & HE to keep 'youth' unemployment numbers down and subsequent debt loading those students hasn't gone so well for many, debt is a well known method of controlling people as 바카라사이트 cheap sale of council houses under Thatcher proved. Then 바카라사이트re's 바카라사이트 real world return on investment, both for 바카라사이트 student but also wider society, how many of 바카라사이트 courses give good VFM for one or both?
#4 Submitted by Simon Feegrade on July 1, 2020 - 2:43pm
@m.robertson8_291084 above - 바카라사이트re IS a reason for Johnson to 'bash universities' in his speech: that reason being that it plays well to his main audience who berate "universities" as being seething cauldrons of left-wing indoctrination, poisoning 바카라사이트 minds of 바카라사이트 gullible young.
#5 Submitted by drraug on July 1, 2020 - 7:57pm
The main difference between HE and FE is that FE aims to prepare students for work, and HE aims to develop students as critical thinkers, able to understand complex methods and arguments, compare proposed strategies and evaluate 바카라사이트ir results, collect evidence and draw conclusions, and continue 바카라사이트ir learning independently. Critically thinking voters don't buy cheap slogans and are not easily influenced by propaganda.

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